Published: 24 September 2016
Last updated: 4 March 2024
The Egyptian leader again called for a solution that would provide security for Israel, a state for Palestinians and prosperity and peace for both sides. ‘We have a real opportunity, to write a bright page in the history of our region, to move toward peace.’
And see further from the past week at the UN General Assembly:
Abbas' full speech at the UN General Assembly – Haaretz 22.09.16
Referred to PLO’s ‘1993 recognition of the existence of the State of Israel, a recognition which remains valid to this moment, is not a gratuitous recognition’; said conflict is with the occupation, not the Jewish religion or people, which are respected; condemned the Holocaust as ‘one of the most heinous crimes perpetrated against humanity’; said ‘realisation of an historic reconciliation between the Palestinian and Israeli peoples requires that Israel acknowledge its responsibility for the Nakba’; referred to the French peace initiative, and to efforts being made to get a further Security Council resolution.
Full text of Netanyahu’s speech at 2016 UN General Assembly – The Times of Israel 22.09.16
Despite UN’s anti-Israel bias, situation changing in Israel’s favour at UN, in Africa, Asia, Latin America and among Arab states; referred to strong alliance with USA and protective use of Security Council veto; Israel aware of possible further moves at UN but would not be dictated to; attacked Abbas and Palestinians for supporting terrorism; said issue of settlements ‘is a real one’ but that the conflict is not about them or a Palestinian state but about the existence of any Jewish state. Calls on Abbas to speak at Knesset, urges world to unite against Iran.
Netanyahu does his usual shtick before UN audience with zero expectations – Chemi Shalev – Haaretz 22.09.16
Netanyahu is lucky his competition comes from such an underwhelming orator as Mahmoud Abbas, who always sounds more concerned what the guys in Hamas and Islamic Jihad will say than how his speech will be received by diplomats in Paris or New York. Right wing Israelis are willing to turn a blind eye to Netanyahu’s declarations about fully supporting a two-state solution, as long as they see that he himself is winking.
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